Quick Read
- Hundreds of Minnesota businesses closed in protest against federal immigration crackdowns.
- A 5-year-old child and his father were detained by ICE, sparking widespread outrage and criticism from school officials.
- An FBI agent investigating the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent resigned, raising concerns about political interference.
- Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and community organizer Chauntyll Allen were arrested at a St. Paul church protest.
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called federal operations ‘political retribution,’ while DHS suggested tensions could ease if local authorities cooperated with ICE.
MINNEAPOLIS (Azat TV) – Widespread protests have swept across Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, in response to the Trump administration’s intensified immigration crackdown, marked by the controversial detention of a 5-year-old child and an FBI agent’s resignation from a fatal shooting investigation. The escalating tensions between federal immigration enforcement and local authorities, coupled with community outrage, have brought issues of civil liberties, due process, and alleged political interference to the forefront of national discourse.
Widespread Protests and Community Response
On Friday, January 23, 2026, hundreds of Minnesota businesses were encouraged to close for the day as a show of solidarity ahead of a major rally in Minneapolis. Crowds braved freezing temperatures to march through downtown, culminating in a rally at the Minnesota Timberwolves’ arena, Target Center, where some 20,000 people had reportedly signed up to attend. Speakers, including Indigenous leaders, religious figures, and activists, denounced the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, with a prominent sign declaring, “WE SAY ICE OUT.” Rachel Dionne-Thunder of the Indigenous Protector Movement urged attendees, “Now is the time to stand up. Now is the time to organize and to take action. Now is the time to fight back.”
Separately, approximately 100 people were arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport during a protest against ICE activities. According to a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, these individuals received misdemeanor citations for trespassing and failure to comply with a peace officer, after the demonstration exceeded agreed-upon terms with airport staff.
Controversy Over Child Detention
A significant point of contention has been the detention of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrián, by federal agents outside their Minneapolis-area home earlier this week. The family was pursuing an asylum claim, according to their lawyer, Marc Prokosch. Liam’s uncle, Luis Conejo, expressed profound outrage to CNN from Ecuador, stating, “Just looking at the images is outrageous. It’s a shame to use a child in any way… Using a child is the lowest thing you can do.”
School officials have also voiced strong disapproval. Zena Stenvik, Superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, described a frantic scene upon arriving at the family’s home, where she was told agents had taken Liam. Jason Kuhlman, Liam’s principal, recounted the mother’s distress, noting she described Liam ‘pounding on the door and saying, ‘Mom, please let me in.” The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Liam’s mother “refused to accept custody of the child” and that officers ‘assured her that they would NOT take her into custody.’ However, Kuhlman countered this, suggesting the incident might be racial profiling, citing 19 or 20 families at his school alone who have had a parent taken by ICE.
Scrutiny on Fatal Shooting Probe
Further complicating the federal-local relationship is the resignation of an FBI agent who was initially investigating the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis earlier in January. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty expressed concern that the agent’s resignation, coupled with the FBI’s directive to reclassify the civil rights investigation into an ‘assault on the officer’ probe and blocking local Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) involvement, suggested ‘political reasons’ for stifling the investigation. Moriarty’s office and the BCA are continuing their own efforts to collect evidence. Antonio Romanucci, the Good family’s attorney, called for “real due process, real investigation,” criticizing what he termed ‘kangaroo courts’ and citing an independent autopsy that indicated Good was shot while moving away from Ross.
Arrests at Church Protest Fuel Legal Debate
The arrests of civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and community organizer Chauntyll Allen following a protest at a St. Paul church on Sunday have also drawn significant attention. Both were charged with conspiracy against rights, a felony punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. Levy Armstrong described being under surveillance by federal agents prior to her arrest, telling CNN’s Erin Burnett they were ‘treated us as if we were dangerous criminals.’ Video footage released by the Racial Justice Network appears to contradict the government’s narrative, according to the NAACP. A magistrate judge notably rejected additional charges prosecutors attempted to bring against Levy Armstrong, Allen, and William Kelly under the FACE Act, citing a lack of probable cause.
The events underscore a deepening rift between federal immigration enforcement and Minnesota’s local and state leadership. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey characterized the increase in federal agents as ‘political retribution,’ while DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin suggested tensions could ease if Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Frey allowed ICE access to state detention facilities.
The confluence of mass protests, the emotional impact of child detentions, and the perceived politicization of a fatal shooting investigation highlights a critical juncture in the balance between federal enforcement prerogatives and community rights in Minnesota.